Indian Pens: Which To Buy, Which To Avoid

[drvishal]

Click??? its a new name I heard in a indian fountain pen industry

[Aramchek]

Seems many of the pens that show up on that website are also found under other Indian brands. Not sure if they made them for all of them, or if they're reselling pens made by someone else.

 

Recently got one of the pens on their site, the Tulip, though branded Oliver. Pretty nice, and the piston seemed to work better than in most cheap pens, but I had to replace the nib with a Serwex nib (which I think is made by Platinum (not the Japanese one)) because I didn't like the one it came with.

[hani]

It is showing in their site that they are an OEM manufacturer for various brands along with their own brand which is " CLICK" this could justify that many of the models in their product range are also with other brand.

But i see some are quite new.

[drvishal]

It is showing in their site that they are an OEM manufacturer for various brands along with their own brand which is " CLICK" this could justify that many of the models in their product range are also with other brand.

But i see some are quite new.

[drvishal]

It is showing in their site that they are an OEM manufacturer for various brands along with their own brand which is " CLICK" this could justify that many of the models in their product range are also with other brand.

But i see some are quite new.

[de_pen_dent]

So I just re-inked my Ratnam Gandhi with their handmade gold nib. It is a nice pen - good girth and heft, and that gold nib is actually really nice: smooth, wet with just a hint of paper feedback, which i like. That feed is a effing disaster, though, blobbing ink out every few minutes.

 

If I could replace it with a better feed, that'd be a damn good writer.

[mhguda]

Hmm, it sounds to me like your feed is not really snug in the section? Have you tried heat-setting it? or maybe just trying to get a tighter fit?

[hari317]

So I just re-inked my Ratnam Gandhi with their handmade gold nib. It is a nice pen - good girth and heft, and that gold nib is actually really nice: smooth, wet with just a hint of paper feedback, which i like. That feed is a effing disaster, though, blobbing ink out every few minutes.

 

If I could replace it with a better feed, that'd be a damn good writer.

Never heard of a Ratnam "Gandhi". send it to me if you like.

[de_pen_dent]

Sorry, it is a Ratnam Supreme. I think my brain was on holiday yesterday.

 

I'd love to take you up on that offer, Hari - thank you. I'll post it out to you in a day or two - would you mind emailing me your address, I dont think i have it.

[hari317]

Sorry, it is a Ratnam Supreme. I think my brain was on holiday yesterday.

 

I'd love to take you up on that offer, Hari - thank you. I'll post it out to you in a day or two - would you mind emailing me your address, I dont think i have it.

sure, get in touch backchannel...

[Seele]

I buyed one Click Bamboo F.P from Vadodra ,An Eye Dropper quite large tank , The nib writes somewhat fine and col is marble blue. I also purchased a calligraphy set from the same company . The company has a site "uniquepen.in" a large no of fountain pen are there in there product range. The pen was quite reasonable

http://www.uniquepen.in/project/click-bamboo-marble-fountain-pen/

 

I also have a Click Bamboo in blue as well, haven't inked it yet. At first sight it's got a bit of No Nonsense thing going, but is of course quite different. I found a couple of small issues with it: the trim disc at the top of the cap was not properly installed: a blob of epoxy resin was applied to the recess for the disc to sit in, and the disc placed in position,but it was not pushed in properly, so it was sitting at an angle. It took me just a few minutes to rectify this.

 

The areas on both sides of the cap band are not very nicely made so there's a bit of untidiness, for want of a better word. That said, these problem areas do not impact badly on the pen's function, but to appeal to a new customer, these factors contributing to the first impression could be further refined a little more.

[de_pen_dent]

Hmm, it sounds to me like your feed is not really snug in the section? Have you tried heat-setting it? or maybe just trying to get a tighter fit?

 

I tried to get a tighter fit, didnt work. Never really tried heat-setting, so i think i may take up Hari on his offer to help. This pen I kinda like - the handmade gold nib is really good.

[mhguda]

I have only one Ratnam, and it was perfect from the first, but I have had to do some tweaking with Indian pens... mostly with Guiders, to be honest. If all else fails, I find myself changing the feed; that has never yet failed to fix a balky pen. But heat setting works like a charm for many: hold the nib and feed in really hot water for about half a minute or so, then take it out and press them together with your fingers (protect them against the heat!). If not immediately better, repeat.

But if you take Hari up on his offer, I'm sure you'll get your pen back second to none...

[Seele]

de_pen_dent,

 

Hmm... so you're talking about Ratnamson rather than Ratnam; they are separate firms, although we seldom talk about Ratnam for some reason.

[mhguda]

de_pen_dent,

 

Hmm... so you're talking about Ratnamson rather than Ratnam; they are separate firms, although we seldom talk about Ratnam for some reason.

He clearly says Ratnam, not Ratnamson?

[Seele]

He clearly says Ratnam, not Ratnamson?

 

As far as I know, Ratnamson uses gold nibs in addition to steel nibs, and the firm has facilities to make them. Ratnam might not have that.

[LWJ2]

I recently purchased a pair of hand-turned ebonite eyedroppers from 7-11shoppee on e-bay. No maker's name or hall-mark; the nibs are marked "Platinum Tipped" and appear to be a generic type.

 

That said, they hold a good deal of ink (>3ml), seal well and start fast if not stored nib-up. The nibs themselves are smooth writers; the gentleman I corresponded with very nicely sent me an extra nib at no charge when I asked how much spares would cost.

 

The smaller of the two doesn't post well, but is long enough that writing isn't a problem, the larger has a threaded end so the cap is screwed on when posted.

 

All in all, I'm quite pleased with these "no name" pens.

 

Leon

 

 

5.5 in capped:

 

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/lwj2/5626446/367759/367759_original.jpg

 

 

 

6.0 in capped, threaded end:

 

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/lwj2/5626446/368069/368069_original.jpg

Edited August 2, 2014 by LWJ2

[Seele]

LWJ2,

 

I was wondering about these pens as well, they seem to be a little less refined in workmanship, compared to others, and as a fair proportion of named Indian brands do not even sign their pens, I was wondering if they are as such, but it might be fruitless if we ask the vendor.

 

Also, there could very well be smaller provincial makers who just make pens without even using a trade name, so these pens might be those.

[de_pen_dent]

de_pen_dent,

 

Hmm... so you're talking about Ratnamson rather than Ratnam; they are separate firms, although we seldom talk about Ratnam for some reason.

 

Ha, good question, i always get them mixed up myself. I mean whoever makes the Ratnam Supreme and the Ratnam 302

[Dickkooty2]

My experience has been poor. Low end - pass on to those who like problems and collect pens for the challenge and satisfaction of making them work. Alas, I do not share this view.

 

Yet the history of local pen manufacturers in in India is an interesting one since before the end of the Raj.

 

I now have two hand-made pens in order, one vintage and one new. I have bought them for their history and redolence of tradition.

 

A vintage Wilson. One of the classic brands with a great history, and maybe the pen that wrote the Indian constitution. Not mine, but it looks like it … orange with black nib and looks like a Big Red.

 

A Ramachandran-turned model from Calicut that goes back many years as a company.

 

So my take-away is this. I won't buy an Indian pen for the writing experience, I will buy a keep-sake of an era or as a tradition of hand-turning.